The Time for Ridicule is Over
by ravenclaw pupil
Summary: A Ravenclaw attempts to silence a particularly nasty Slytherin once and for all.
1. Wrong Choice of Words

Arcadia liked to think she had a fairly clear head when it came to rationalizing problems out.  It was her quick-thinking and analytical abilities that got her placed into Ravenclaw House in the first place.  Unfortunately, this was a conundrum where she would have to choose the lesser of two evils.  In this case, it meant breaking about a dozen school rules and risking her life.  

Sure, a broomstick race was exciting.  It wasn't a commonplace event at Hogwarts.  The complications lie in how it was going to take place and where.  This wouldn't just be a quick jaunt around the Quidditch practice field.  It was a race through the Forbidden Forest.  That's where the concern for her life came stampeding back into her mind.  Arcadia had heard enough stories about what students like Harry Potter had encountered in the dark depths of the Forest.  This, coupled with the fact that her and several others would be racing through the trees at fifty-plus miles an hour was enough to discourage any hotheaded egotistical prat from even considering engaging in a competition with someone like Gideon.  

Gideon.  That name still rang in her ears as Snape called out attendance with a smirk and a dark stare.  Gideon Maigny was the new golden boy for Slytherin House.  Since Draco Malfoy was now in his sixth year, some new blood had to continue the legacy of being a complete nuisance to any other students who chose to cross the path of a Slytherin.  Arcadia happened to be just such a pupil.  

Choosing an inopportune time to answer a question on the properties of the root of asphodel, Arcadia managed to embarrass Gideon in front of the class by correcting him on an improper usage of the ingredient.  Needless to say, after that his conduct went completely downhill with regards to Arcadia.  Gideon took every chance from that moment on to trip her when walking with her potion samples to Professor Snape's desk, lob small objects at her head when she was taking notes, and tease her with remarks uttered under his breath.  His lack of civility finally came to a breaking point when he decided to see how far he could push Arcadia.  

"I imagine that gigantic brain of yours makes you pretty top-heavy when it comes to riding a broom."  Gideon eyed Arcadia sinisterly as the words passed from his lips.

Arcadia took a deep breath, summoned back her focus and gripped her quill a bit tighter, returning to her notes while Professor Snape lectured on the Swelling Solution.  

"Come on Caldwell, you want to prove to me that you wouldn't fall off head-first in a race against me and some other gits who need to be put in their place?"

Arcadia was concentrating as best she could, but Gideon's relentless barrage of ridicule was starting to wear on her patience.

"Caaaaaaaldwell… do you want me to announce it in the Great Hall that you can't fly a broomstick because you're too busy being a swot?"

Students in Gideon and Arcadia's vicinity picked up on the taunting and were starting to snicker.  She had had enough.  Arcadia threw down her quill and turned to him.

"You name the time and place and expect me to kick your sorry behind all the way back to that dank mudhole you came from!" she hissed with a malicious gaze.

It was just what Gideon had wanted in a provocation.  "Forbidden Forest, tomorrow at midnight… Be there or don't expect to be able to show your face the following morning for breakfast!"  He sneered and quickly pretended to take notes as Professor Snape lectured in his direction.  

_Dammit_! Arcadia had walked right into his verbal trap and was now forced to either take the terms of the race or suffer what would expectedly be even greater mockery at her expense if she forfeited.  She brushed a few locks of brown hair out of her eyes and thought for a moment.  _It's safe to say that Maigny would use every dodgy trick his devious mind could possibly think of to win this race… what about the others who have been tricked into this by him?  Eff them, they could be his cronies for all I know.  I'm just going to have to take the plunge on my own and hope my reflexes are up to scratch.  _

Thoughts of dodging tree branch after tree branch and immense trunk after immense trunk flickered in her brain.  Even briefer was the reflection on the consequences of accidentally clipping a low-hanging limb or reacting to a large tree a second too late.  _I think I need to worry more about coming out of the race in one piece, rather than if I'll win or not._  Arcadia resolved the conflict in her head; she was determined to practice some flying out on the Quidditch field as soon as Potions ended for the day.  

Arcadia impatiently waited for the last forty minutes of Potions to be over; her jitters became more noticeable as the minutes wore on.  She bounced her leg and tapped her fingers on the table until finally, Snape announced in his unpleasant voice that sixteen inches of parchment was to be turned in tomorrow about an overview of the Deflating Draught.  He made it very clear to the students that any imperfections in the essay would not be tolerated. 

Arcadia was on her feet and out the door with books tightly clutched against her chest the instant Snape finished announcing the homework.  She raced to Ravenclaw Tower, spoke the password at the entrance, and took the steps two at a time to reach the girl's dormitories.  Throwing her books on the bed, she flung her trunk open and snatched her broomstick all in one fluid motion.  Arcadia took the steps back down three at a time, nearly managing to twist her ankle in the process.  She was out of the Common Room before other Ravenclaw students had even managed to make it to the entrance.  

Quidditch practice was on the verge of beginning when she reached the field but it made no difference, she would simply fly on the half of the pitch which wasn't being used by the Gryffindors.  It had been a few weeks since she had taken her Nimbus out of the trunk, but she made every effort to regain any reaction time she had lost in the short period of disuse.  Diving, looping, twisting and turning, she tried to imagine the path she would take through the Forbidden Forest, weaving through the gnarled branches and thick tree trunks as she did her best to evade Gideon and any obstacles he might create in the midst of the race.

After a couple of hours of strenuous manoeuvres, she concluded her efforts.  Arcadia knew it wouldn't help if she was fatigued to the point where her reflexes were shot for the race.  She could practice again for a little while after class tomorrow.  Whatever Gideon was going to throw at her when the race began at midnight tomorrow, she would be ready.  

Homework was more difficult tonight as her mind wandered to the race every time she looked up an ingredient in _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_.  Relieved, she finished the sixteen inches for Professor Snape and proceeded to write her transfiguration essay and review a number of Defense Against the Dark Arts spells.  The majority of Ravenclaw pupils had retired to their beds by the time Arcadia was finished with everything.  She closed her textbooks and let out a stifling yawn as she ascended the stairs and fell right onto her comforter without even bothering to change into her nightgown.  She fell into a deep slumber and dreamed of Gideon riding a Firebolt that made him a blur as her lowly Nimbus puttered along, coughing and sputtering the entire way through the race.  

Arcadia awoke with hair matted on her face as the alarm clock let out its shrill wake up call.  She blinked, rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, and silenced the alarm.  With a quick shower and change of wardrobe, she was down in the Great Hall for breakfast.  The eggs, sausage, and toast were relatively tasteless as her mind drifted once again to the race that would begin tonight.  She glanced at the Slytherin table as Gideon canked with his fellow students.  They laughed at his less-than-flattering impersonation of someone from Gryffindor House.  

Noelle Hayes, a Ravenclaw friend of Arcadia's, turned to her.  "You've seemed a bit off since yesterday, ever since Potions.  Wanna give me the gen on what's going on?"

Arcadia moved some eggs around on her plate and looked up at Noelle.  "You won't believe this, but I'm going to race Gideon Maigny in the Forbidden Forest tonight at midnight."

Noelle let out a squeak and lowered her head towards Arcadia.  "I hope you're just putting me on Arcadia… only a dunderhead accepts any kind of challenge Gideon throws out."

"I appreciate your cheek, but the truth is he's been taunting me to the point of ripping my own hair out… I need to do something that will get him to shut his gob once and for all!"  She let out a huff and faced Noelle, hoping for some support.

"Couldn't you just beat him in a Wizard's Duel or something?  Racing through the Forbidden Forest at midnight isn't exactly something I would picture you doing: it's usually an activity reserved for berks like Gideon."

"Noelle, you can either cheer me on, or shut it.  I don't need my own friend getting shirty with me over what I should and shouldn't be doing.  I know it's a terribly daft thing to do, but he provoked me!  Backing out now will just give him a great deal more to take the mickey out of me with later on."

"Okay, okay… I'll be there for you tonight.  But I swear, if you end up splattered on the side of a tree, don't act like I didn't warn you."  She crossed her arms, uneasy about this whole competition.  As a rule, Slytherins were _not_ to be trusted in any kind of matchup.  

Today it was shortened periods of Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions and Transfiguration.  As one often expects time to function, it was no different for Arcadia.  She had hoped the day would drag on, delaying the inevitable for as long as possible when in actuality classes were over before she even knew it.  She resolved herself to fate and headed back to the pitch for a brief practice.  Arcadia's aerial movements had managed to attract a number of Hogwarts students this time, as well as several Gryffindor Quidditch members.  

Arcadia set down on the soft turf and looked at the small crowd that had gathered.  "Um… hi?  I hope you're not all here to tell me how horrible my flying skills are."  

A Hufflepuff boy stepped forward.  "No, no… We wanted to compliment you.  How come you aren't on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team?"

Arcadia pondered the question for a second.  "Well, I never really considered myself good enough.  It's not like I got on the pitch just to show off for the last two days."

A female Ravenclaw spoke up.  "Then why _are_ you practicing those manoeuvres?"

_Should I tell them the truth or make something up?_  "Actually, Gideon Maigny challenged me to a competition tonight.  In the Forbidden Forest."  Several of the students gasped.  "I know it isn't the smartest thing I could have done, but he's been annoying me so much recently that I finally lost it and gave in to the idea of racing him."  Murmurs enveloped the crowd as they all agreed that standing up to Gideon was very admirable.  

"What time is this race at?"  A Gryffindor named Isabelle asked.  

"Midnight."  The group of students pledged to be there for moral support, tips on handling the Nimbus and to make certain that Slytherin chicanery was kept to a minimum.  


	2. Who Emerges Alive?

It was twenty minutes until midnight and Arcadia could feel the lump in her throat growing larger.  She wrapped her Nimbus in a blanket because explaining this to any prefect or professor roaming the halls at night would be extremely difficult.  Arcadia made absolutely sure that no one was left in the Common Room and crept out into the dimly lit hall.  Double-checking that her wand was in the left pocket of the cloak, she reassuringly patted the soft material.  She padded as quietly as she could through the hallways and down the stairs of Ravenclaw Tower, paying attention to any noise that might give her away or warn of someone coming.  Arcadia made it to the front entrance and exhaled in relief.  She had made it.  Opening the door as slowly as she could manage without a creak she peered outside only to hear the voice of Professor McGonagall.  

"…out this late, whatever did you think you were doing?"  The focus of her stern tone told Arcadia she had caught another student wandering Hogwarts grounds, more than likely on their way to see the race in the Forbidden Forest.  

The student let out a whimper as McGonagall dragged him back up the steps to the entrance.  _She's coming this way_!  Arcadia quickly ducked into the darkest corner should could find, hoping it would still provide cover if McGonagall decided to illuminate the Entrance Hall.  Fortunately for her, Professor McGonagall went straight up the marble staircase with the student in tow, cowering in fear of that fate that would be his detention.  

Arcadia relaxed and quickly headed out the door, running as fast as her legs could carry her to the Forbidden Forest.  _I bet Gideon let it slip to someone that students would be outside after curfew… he was hoping it would be _me_ that was hauled off by McGonagall so it would look like I forfeited!_  Arcadia gritted her teeth at the realization that Maigny was using dodgy tactics even before the race had started.

Breathing heavily, she ran under a few thick branches and made her way into the pitch black of the forest.  Arcadia stopped briefly to compose herself and looked around for any indication of where the race would be.  In the distance, she noticed an eerie blue light cast on the trees; it reminded her of some strange underwater scene except for that fact that it was set in a forest.  She headed towards the lights and noticed more and more students gathering as she got closer.  Ravenclaws, Gryffindors, Slytherins and even Hufflepuffs!  There were a total of forty students in all and the congregation was quite surprising to Arcadia; she had no idea word had gotten around so quickly.  Thankful that it wasn't the entire school, she though that if it had been, the professors would have been here reprimanding everyone faster than Arcadia could say Quidditch.  

She entered the crowd and cleared her throat.  Several pupils made way for her as she walked to the starting line.  In those dozen or so steps, all the people who offered her advice earlier, bombarded her with even more.  

"Keep your wand handy in case Gideon or anyone else tries to hoodwink you!"  "Remember duck and roll manoeuvres, those are the most useful here!"  

"This race is about reflexes, not speed!"  

Arcadia appreciated all the support and even saw that Noelle had managed to sneak out earlier.  She waved cheerfully and wished Arcadia good luck.  

Arcadia unwrapped her Nimbus from the blanket and looked down the path of the race through the Forbidden Forest.  It was a straight line, the path brightened by Bluebell Flames in levitating glass jars.  _A rather ingenious idea, _thought Arcadia.  While the path didn't have twists and turns, it had a great many obstacles; large branches and tree trunks were intertwined throughout the track.  She turned to face her opponents, two boys from Hufflepuff, a girl from Gryffindor, and Maigny.  Arcadia found it odd that no other Slytherins were racing; perhaps his cronies were lying in wait within the shadows.  She mentally prepared herself for any kind of obstacles that might be thrown at her during the race.  

A Gryffindor stepped forward to explain the rules to the five competitors.  "It's simple.  You blokes follow the blue lights to the end of the path, loop around and come back right here," he stomped his foot on the white line.  "First broomstick _with _a student across the line wins.  Look for green sparks to mark the end of the course."  The Gryffindor took a step back and withdrew his wand.  "Ladies and Gentlemen, take your positions!"  

The five straddled their brooms and took turns eyeing each other up and down.  Arcadia turned to examine the path illuminated by Bluebell Flames: it was intimidating to say the least.  The flickering lights danced as the shadows made the entire forest look alive.  Tree limbs snaked out to create barriers throughout the entire length of the track.  Just as one of the pupils had pointed out, this was going to take a lot of ducking and rolling.  

Arcadia took a deep breath, slowly removed her wand from the pocket, tensed her muscles to kick off the ground, and listened for the countdown.  

"Three… two… one… GO!"  Sparks flew high into the air from the Gryffindor's wand and the five were off.

Gideon immediately checked one of the Hufflepuff boys and sent him behind the group as he coaxed more speed out of his Firebolt.  Arcadia did her best to maintain the same position as Gideon while staying on the opposite side of the cluster of riders.  The tree limbs were now everyone's main concern; everyone separated and began their sequence of weaving, dodging, and scraping stray branches.  

Arcadia quickly glanced right to see where her competition was.  The lagging Hufflepuff boy had caught up and now everyone was faring rather well in the tangle of tree limbs as shadowed cloaks swooped in and out of open spaces and continued to press forward.  

As she leaned and ducked through the branches, Arcadia tried to take in as much of her surroundings as the dim blue light would permit.  She caught a figure up ahead poised behind one of the trunks, highlighted only by its occasional movements.  _I knew Gideon would have some surprises in store.  He just waited until we were far enough from the crowd to guarantee his innocence if someone cried foul play.  There would be no witnesses this far down the line._  Arcadia berated herself for not foreseeing Maigny's treachery sooner.  She focused her peripheral vision on the shadow behind the tree while rolling and dodging the branches and trunks as they came at her.  Speeding through the course, the air whipped her hair around when she finally understood what the figure was about to do, he was holding onto a large branch!  A split second after Arcadia's recognition she heard a cry of "NOW!" echo through the forest.  An object came hurtling towards her and out of reflex, she thrust her wand in front of her and cried "_Diffindo_!"  The branch split in half and Arcadia flew through as the two pieces sailed in either direction.  

The outcome was not so favourable for the others.  One of the Hufflepuff boys caught the full force of a branch in the chest.  The broom was launched out from under him; as a lungful of oxygen was huffed out he spread his arms and fell backwards into the darkness below.  Arcadia gulped as she saw how the Gryffindor girl fared.  There was a thick slash through her cloak and the blue flame cast light on a trickle of fluid seeping out of the wound.  She clutched her side and winced in pain as she slowly fell behind in the race.  Apparently the taut branch had been let go to act like a whip, tearing both clothing and flesh.  That left Arcadia, Gideon and one of the Hufflepuff boys.  

The three had finally reached the end of the track; Arcadia quickly leaned back and pulled up on her Nimbus, rotating upward, manouvring a vertical 180 and speeding back down the course.  She checked to her left and noticed that Gideon had not come out of the ambush unscathed.  A large gash on his right arm was bleeding, and it was effecting his ability to steer.  _I'm the only one who's come out of this with just minor scrapes.  I hope I can keep this up._  Arcadia narrowed her eyes and attempted to retrace her path through the trees.  It was far more difficult than she had imagined.  The path looked completely different when speeding in the opposite direction.  

Arcadia leaned forward and made herself as narrow of a projectile as she could.  The wind was making her green eyes water, but she pressed on.  _I'm more than half way finished, no effing way am I letting Gideon beat me now!  _Arcadia swerved around the thick tree trunks and ducked under every branch that came into her line of vision.  She concentrated on the obstacles in front of her and gradually gained more distance on Gideon and the Hufflepuff boy.  Arcadia heard a painful grunt behind her and briefly looked to see what had happened.  Gideon had edged up right by the Hufflepuff and elbowed him straight in the face.  Blood sprayed from his face as he was sent sprawling onto the soft earth of the forest floor.  

Now there were just two competing for the finish line.  Arcadia gritted her teeth, tightened her grip on the handle, and urged as much speed out of the Nimbus as she could possibly afford without losing control in the dense forest.  

A left lean and then a tight roll through a collection of branches, Arcadia pulled the broomstick closer to her chest.  The perimeter of the Bluebell Flame's light showed more shadows moving and this time they didn't look human.  _These things are definitely dangling in midair and have more than four bloody appendages!  _Holding her Mahogany wand in front of her face, Arcadia split her attention between weaving through the relentless assault of gnarled tree branches and the impending attack.

Then, from the ceiling of the forest, came the creatures that seized the initiative of surprise.  Oversized arachnids with appendages poised to strike were bearing down on Arcadia's narrow form.  She drew in a sharp breath and pointed her wand at any spider that blocked her route.  "_Stupefy_! _Stupefy_! _Stupefy_!"  Every creature that was hit with the stunning spell received a shock with enough power to convulse and lose control on the tether that suspended them from the trees.  

"Arrrgh!"  Gideon cried out in fear as Arcadia looked over her shoulder to see that the arachnids were managing to slow him down.  

"_Stupefy_!  _Stupefy_!"  Arcadia stunned two of the giant spiders to give Gideon a fairer chance to overcome the menace.  The constant spell casting was starting to wear her down.  She could see green sparks in the distance, _the finish line!_  With every ounce of her strength she shot through the trees like an arrow, avoiding the larger branches while taking the brunt of the damage the thinner ones dealt her. 

Arcadia's vision was starting to blur as she was feeling the physical drain of pushing her endurance to the limit.  Then she saw a devious grin in the low blue light.  A heavy branch came swinging towards her and her reaction time was seriously impaired at this point because of the fatigue of the race.  Arcadia swung her right arm away from the Nimbus's handle and leaned left to pull away from the limb as much as she could.  

It wasn't enough and the end of the rough bark ripped through her side, tearing her cloak and leaving a deep wound in her ribcage.   She grunted and slipped off of her broomstick right as she crossed the finish line.  The crowd cheered and ran towards her as she quickly descended onto the forest floor, still clutching the broom as she rolled through the damp soil.  Gideon crossed the finish a few seconds after and set down, catching his breath.  Arcadia lay facedown, covered in moss and dirt with one arm wrapped around the Nimbus.  The students surrounded her with whispers of concern.


	3. Perseverance Repaid

Arcadia regained some of her constitution and pulled herself to her feet.  She marched over to Gideon and came face to face with him.

She screamed, "Sodding git!  You bloody near killed three people tonight and I wasn't far off either!"  Arcadia swung a right hook that connected with Gideon's jaw.  She saw the ripple of the impact in slow motion as his face quivered with the collision of fist and bone.  His dark eyes lost their vicious shine and he spun sideways into a number of other students, crumpling into a heap.

"Oy!  Who's there?"  There was only one person with that voice that Arcadia recalled, _Hagrid_!  A low growl meant Fang wasn't far behind.

After that, all the commotion happened at once.  The three students that had been left behind in the race finally made it back.  Two Gryffindors and a Ravenclaw pointed their wands at the jars of Bluebell Flame and whispered "_Finite Incantatum_!"  The lights were immediately extinguished and the containers fell to the ground.  After that, some students took off running for Hogwarts school grounds while others resolved themselves to hiding under leaves, rocks, and behind trees.  

Arcadia had a better idea.  She was wounded, but she could still muster enough strength to fly one last time.  

"Noelle!  Are you still here?" Arcadia tried to keep her voice down without making it so quiet that it wouldn't carry through any of the Forbidden Forest.  

"Yeah!"  Noelle was hidden in a clump of brush about three metres away from Arcadia.

In mid-run, Arcadia scooped up her blanket from the ground and ran over to Noelle.  She straddled her broom and told Noelle to get on.  

"What?!"  A look of fear gripped Noelle as she looked for an explanation from Arcadia.

"We don't have much time!  If we make a run for the school with everyone else heading that way, chances are we're going to get caught.  If we take the high road…" Arcadia hoped that Noelle would understand the plan now.  

Noelle wasn't completely convinced, but considering the alternative, this was a better idea than anything she could come up with in a pinch.  

Heavy footsteps were nearing their position and Noelle didn't need to be told twice to get on the broom.  Arcadia kicked off with what little energy she had left, and the Nimbus slowly climbed up through the heights of the forest.  The leaves brushed their heads as they looked below to see Hagrid and Fang combing the forest for the source of the earlier disturbance.  The extra weight on the broom was evident, but there was still enough lift to continue the ascent above the treetops.  

"I don't want to take too much time flying around because the longer we're up here, the easier it is for someone to spot us.  I'm going to head for the seventh floor where the bases of some of the towers meet the castle."  Arcadia pointed the Nimbus west and slowly moved towards Hogwarts.

There was little moonlight as a number of thick clouds obscured what would have otherwise made Arcadia and Noelle very noticeable inky black of the night.  After a few minutes, the pair landed on the roof where the Gryffindor and Astronomy towers began their reach for the sky.  

"Why didn't we just go all the way to Ravenclaw Tower?  It would save us the trouble of having to navigate the halls with all the students running about," Noelle postulated.  

"Noelle, I don't want to be the one to test the limits of the Nimbus's capabilities.  If the broom stalls, plummeting one-hundred and fifty metres from the sky will leave us pushing up daisies."  Noelle seemed to agree with this point.  She figured that since they had made it in one piece this far, tempting the fates any further would lead to reckless endangerment of their lives.  

Arcadia hid the Nimbus in her blanket and grabbed Noelle's hand.  They raced to the door only to find it locked.  Noelle aimed her Willow wand at the lock and whispered "_Alohamora_!" and the mechanism clicked open.  Arcadia cautiously eased the door open and peered inside.  Footsteps echoed through the cold, empty hallway.  Others were undoubtedly trying to remain covert while avoiding any professors or prefects that were patrolling for curfew violators.  

Noelle turned to face Arcadia.  "Oh, bugger!  Isn't there a spell that would silence our footsteps?"

Arcadia tried to think.  "I imagine there is one, but we haven't learned it yet.  What I wouldn't do for a spell book right now!"  She scowled and walked from the balls of her feet to the toes with great care as the two Ravenclaws crept along the stone floor.  "We need to get to the west side as quickly and quietly as possible; from there it's just climbing Ravenclaw Tower to the dormitories."  Arcadia had been quite tolerant of the pain in her side until now, but the throbbing had finally become too strenuous to bear.  She fell to her knees and started drawing slow, deep breaths to stop her head from spinning.  Perhaps she had lost more blood than she was prepared for.

"Oh no… Arcadia?  You're looking dead peelie-wally!"  The colour had drained from Arcadia's face as she started to shiver and perspire.  

Noelle strained to lift Arcadia up and steadied her with an arm around her side while holding her arm over Noelle's shoulder.  "I can't just carry a bunch of dead weight so you have to help me Arcadia… Just walk with me, slowly."  One step at a time, the pair continued down the hall until they happened to come across a confused Gryffindor.  

The boy sniffled, "I can't find Gryffindor Tower… Do you know where it is from here?"

Noelle shook her head.  "It might me back down the way we just came."

"I wouldn't keep going down this hall, I just saw Professor Snape lurking around the corner.  He's still rounding up people who came from the race."  The boy lowered his head and starting jogging past Noelle and Arcadia.

No sooner had the boy left then the professor made his presence known.  "I know you're here boy.  I don't want to have to spend all night playing babysitter.  The longer this takes, the _much less_ _lenient_ you can expect me to be when doling out a punishment for breaking curfew."  

Noelle, seeing his greasy black hair and swishing cape in the distance, spared no second to guide Arcadia into the nearest classroom to hide.  

"I don't know how much longer I can take this Noelle..."  Arcadia's breathing was becoming more and more shallow.  

_At least one of those other students who raced went to Madame Pomfrey for first aid.  I have to take the chance and get __Arcadia__ there… I don't know if she will make it though the night if it's spent in her bed._  Noelle was going spare, for the deterioration in her friend's health was growing.

She pressed her ear against the door, hoping to hear Professor Snape's footsteps fading down the corridor.  His verbal intimidations to incite the Gryffindor boy to give himself up became louder and then diminished as Snape prowled further down the hall.  

Noelle threw Arcadia's arm over her shoulder, eased the door open, and started to maintain a steady pace in the opposite direction of Professor Snape.  

"We just have to make it down four flights of stairs and we're there.  OK, Arcadia?"

"Mmm hmmm."  Arcadia was focusing on each step she made, putting the dizziness out of her mind and the pain that was shifting from throbbing to sharp with each motion of movement.

The pair took the four flights of stairs with severe caution because any misstep could leave Arcadia with a condition far worse than just a bloody gash in her side.  

Reaching the third floor, Noelle was greeted with commotion in the Hospital Wing.  Madame Pomfrey was indeed treating the others who had fallen victim to Maigny's deceit tonight.  Noelle led Arcadia into the room with the clean white sheets neatly straightened on every bed, save the ones that were occupied.  The two Hufflepuff boys and the Gryffindor girl were being tended to with speed and efficiency as Madame Pomfrey rushed between the three.  The Hufflepuff boy who had been elbowed by Maigny now sported a large bandage on his nose, and the Gryffindor girl was wearing a nightshirt over a thickly wrapped bandage around her midsection.  The second Hufflepuff boy who had taken the full force of a tree branch was receiving a healing salve for the massive bruise covering his chest. 

Arcadia lay down in the bed next to the Gryffindor girl and closed her eyes.  She was safe now.  She had won the race and would have someone take care of the awful wound on her ribcage.  

"Merlin!  Another one?  I hope when you four have recovered, someone will have the decency to tell me just what happened tonight for students to be injured so terribly!"  Madame Pomfrey rolled up her sleeves and tended to Arcadia.  

Arcadia slowly faded into unconsciousness and spent eight hours undisturbed beneath a warm blanket, the thoughts of pain entirely out of her mind.

When she finally awoke, she was greeted by the people she was least excited to see.  Professor McGonagall was standing over her with Professor Flitwick peering over the bed.  The two were impatiently waiting for Arcadia to explain Madame Pomfrey's distressing news that she had turned up in the Hospital Wing at two o'clock this morning.  

Arcadia turned to the three other students who were sitting up in bed, looking equally as nervous as she.  Their faces told Arcadia that they expected her to provide a narration of the previous night's events that would leave the three of them free from punishment.  She sighed and turned back to meet Professor McGonagall's stone-faced gaze.  Arcadia imagined that news about the race in the Forbidden Forest had already reached all of Hogwarts and there was no amount of lying that would cover it up now.  She resigned herself to her fate and took the plunge.

"Professors, we competed in a broom race against Gideon Maigny."  There was no way she was going to let him get out of disciplinary action.  "Throughout the course, Maigny and his 'associates' made every effort to make sure we did not finish the race."  Arcadia recalled the scream of 'NOW!' that had been uttered right before tree branches were let go to hit the Gryffindor girl and Hufflepuff boy.  The yell sounded extremely close to Gideon's voice in her mind.  "The wounds under our bandages are the evidence enough -"

"Miss Caldwell, I am more interested in the fact that you, Miss Reed, Mister Adelaide, Mister Maigny and Mister Kinnard were in violation of quite a few school rules."  She ticked them off on her fingers.  "Being out past curfew, on Hogwarts grounds, and in the Forbidden Forest, just to name a few.  I understand that your injuries were not caused by attacking trees, but without any specific proof to corroborate the source of your wounds, I cannot directly punish Mister Maigny.  What I _can_ do is see that the five of you serve detention with several others I caught wandering the hallways and school grounds after curfew last night.  I will also be writing to all of your parents to make them aware that their sons and daughters are being disciplined for your severe lack of good judgment."

The four students groaned, now facing the reality that they would have to appease their parents' Howlers and satisfy the professors in serving detention.  

"Miss Caldwell, I am well aware that certain students enjoy exacting a bit more… _cheek_ than others, but I do hope that in the future you will exercise more restraint when giving into the whims of an unruly student."  Professor McGonagall shifted her weight and began to walk towards the doorway of the Hospital Wing with Professor Flitwick following in her wake.  

When she reached the door, she abruptly stopped to add an afterthought, Flitwick nearly bumping into her from behind.  "I must admit, this is the first time in my tenure at Hogwarts that I've heard of anyone having the resolve to take on a daunting task such as racing through the Forbidden Forest on a broomstick.  I highly recommend you try out for the Ravenclaw's Quidditch team."  With that she left with a smirk and strode out of the Hospital Wing.


End file.
